Workers making or using flexible web means (e.g., belts used to transmit motion from one shaft to another) have long been concerned about the complications now typically associated with determining damping characteristics (e.g., damping coefficient) of such a web. Typically, this may involve "trial-and-error" testing of the actual belt in the actual mechanism; or it may require a specific sample size, or it may require that the-belt be permanently altered in some way; or "over-stressed" in actual use-environment.
This invention addresses such concerns, and teaches a technique and apparatus for determining such damping coefficients:
without need of trial-error testing of an actual belt length in an actual use-environment, or any associated belt altering or overstressing; PA1 without need of any specific sample size or belt-length (e.g., testing one length can determine damping for many different lengths).
Thus, it is an object hereof to alleviate such problems and provide at least some of the here-described features and advantages. A more particular object is to provide means for quantifying belt damping parameters--especially for various belt-lengths, yet by testing at only a few belt-length positions. Another object is to do so by subjecting the belt to sinusoidal shaking at resonance conditions.
A further object is to avoid conventional solutions, such as testing a belt in the mechanism it is to be used in.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.